2011-04-13T17:17:54Z2011100karadguFalseFalseContinuous change in agricultural land use directly affects Europe's biodiversity. A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) finds that Common Agricultural Policy payments could be used more effectively to support High Nature Value farmland and help halt biodiversity loss.2010-03-09T14:00:00ZIn Europe, agricultural land use is currently characterised
by intensification of farming of better land and abandonment or afforestation
of poorer land. More traditional, low-intensity farming systems that support
biodiversity, known as High Nature Value (HNV) farmland, continue to disappear.

With an
annual budget of roughly EUR 53 billion, the European Union's Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP) is an important factor in shaping Europe's
agriculture. Its future role and objectives are currently the subject of broad
debate.

The EEA
technical report "Distribution and targeting of the CAP budget from a
biodiversity perspective" stresses that EU spending could be better targeted to
support HNV farmland, thereby boosting biodiversity. Despite recent reforms, most
CAP payments still go to the most productive agricultural land and relatively
little is spent to support HNV farms, which often have lower incomes.

All policy incentives to conserve HNV farmland,
including a possible redesign of the CAP, have to be seen in the wider socio-economic
context of agriculture and should take the delivery of ecosystem goods and services into
account. These include, for example, food provision, water regulation, carbon
storage and landscape amenity value.

Significant differences among Member States

The five
case studies included in the report (addressing the Czech
Republic, Estonia,
Extremadura in Spain, France and the Netherlands) suggest fundamental
differences in CAP implementation in EU-15 and EU-12.

In
the three old Member States studied, single farm payments constitute over 85 %
of total CAP expenditure and generally favour more intensive production
systems.

In
the new Member States studied, single farm payments (in the period under study)
amounted to just 60 % of the total and were distributed more evenly across
different types of farmland.

The
two new Member States studied provide significant funding for biodiversity-rich
grassland and other types of HNV farmland through rural development spending.

Considerable
farmland in some of the new Member States is not registered for CAP support
payments. This mainly comprises small farms and marginal land where HNV farming
is likely to dominate.

Links

]]>topBetter targeted agricultural spending could enhance biodiversity protectionbiodiversityagriculturepolicybetter-targeted-agricultural-spending-could-enhance-biodiversity-protectionbetter-targeted-agricultural-spending-could-enhance-biodiversity-protection Better targeted agricultural spending could enhance biodiversity protection Continuous change in agricultural land use directly affects Europe's biodiversity. A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) finds that Common Agricultural Policy payments could be used more effectively to support High Nature Value farmland and help halt biodiversity loss.
In Europe, agricultural land use is currently characterised
by intensification of farming of better land and abandonment or afforestation
of poorer land. More traditional, low-intensity farming systems that support
biodiversity, known as High Nature Value (HNV) farmland, continue to disappear.
With an
annual budget of roughly EUR 53 billion, the European Union's Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP) is an important factor in shaping Europe's
agriculture. Its future role and objectives are currently the subject of broad
debate.
The EEA
technical report " Distribution and targeting of the CAP budget from a
biodiversity perspective " stresses that EU spending could be better targeted to
support HNV farmland, thereby boosting biodiversity. Despite recent reforms, most
CAP payments still go to the most productive agricultural land and relatively
little is spent to support HNV farms, which often have lower incomes.
All policy incentives to conserve HNV farmland,
including a possible redesign of the CAP, have to be seen in the wider socio-economic
context of agriculture and should take the delivery of ecosystem goods and services into
account. These include, for example, food provision, water regulation, carbon
storage and landscape amenity value.
Significant differences among Member States
The five
case studies included in the report (addressing the Czech
Republic, Estonia,
Extremadura in Spain, France and the Netherlands) suggest fundamental
differences in CAP implementation in EU-15 and EU-12.
In
the three old Member States studied, single farm payments constitute over 85 %
of total CAP expenditure and generally favour more intensive production
systems. In
the new Member States studied, single farm payments (in the period under study)
amounted to just 60 % of the total and were distributed more evenly across
different types of farmland. The
two new Member States studied provide significant funding for biodiversity-rich
grassland and other types of HNV farmland through rural development spending. Considerable
farmland in some of the new Member States is not registered for CAP support
payments. This mainly comprises small farms and marginal land where HNV farming
is likely to dominate.
Background on the report
The report
reviews whether CAP payments are likely to help maintain High Nature Value
farmland. It follows up an earlier assessment, published by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and EEA in 2004 .
Links
EEA report on High
Nature Value Farmland in 2004 European
Commission’s post-2013 CAP debate Study
on public goods provided by agriculture JRC
report on High Nature Value Farmland in Europe
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